Can I Forget?
by DrinkToThat33
Summary: Sharpay moves away in hope to forget all the heartache and pain that she had suffered, nobody knowng of her whereabouts until a certain friend finds her. A story of how Sharpay's heart is fixed with help from the one who broke it---- T&S :D
1. Chapter 1

The young woman signed the page without hesitation. The page which is now fresh with ink will leave a mark in her memory as well as a mark in her heart. She was medium height, hazel brown eyes and sweet golden blonde locks flowing down her back. She had a magnificent figure and kept herself in good shape, the only thing that suffered was her broken heart. She stared at the page as to which her pen had just been in contact with for a few moments before pulling herself together and wiping away her tears. It hurt the young lady deeply to leave the place where she grew up and spent most of her childhood, but it hurt her more to stay. This house, those walls were a constant reminder of the pain she had suffered. Nobody realised how fragile Sharpay Evans heart would be until Troy Bolton tested its threshold. First drop and it was already shattered into a thousand pieces, only he could put it back together, but he was unable to attempt when Sharpay refused to let him be in any other part of her life.

Sharpay stepped out into the cold breeze, her medium silver suitcase in hand, heading straight for her Mercedes. She turned to face the house once more knowing it would be the last. Every memory she had of the house, good and bad flashed before her eyes. Some of those included Troy. Her blonde hair blew in the wind; she tightened the belt around the black trench coat and stepped into her car.

When reaching her destination, Sharpay's tears were now streaming down her rosy cheeks. Everything that reminded her of Troy had gone now. She felt she could finally move on. It was a year ago that Troy Bolton had left Albuquerque, Sharpay felt glad that he had gone, however the hole in her heart had just got bigger.

The keys to her new apartment jingled in her bag. All she wanted was to settle in nicely, she had a job that called for her in the early hours of the morning and Sharpay felt she could do with a rest. She walked through the front door and was amazed as the apartment somehow looked bigger now it was furnished and decorated. The short hallway leads to the open kitchen, living room and study. Next to the kitchen were two doors. One was a small coat closet and the other was the perfectly white tiled bathroom. The Living room had one large cream sofa facing 38' TV. To the right of the sofa was another door, this one opened to Sharpay's bedroom. A four poster bed set in the centre back wall, two side cabinets either side, a chest of draws in the corner and a dressing table following.

Sharpay was in awe of the place, she had come down on the previous weekend to make sure everything was running and the furniture had arrived. It looked nothing like this. She knew she had to thank Ryan the next time she spoke to him, but he was the only one who knew of her whereabouts. A large gurgling noise came from Sharpay's belly as it interrupted her thoughts. She looked at her watch and played with idea of going to the store or not. Her belly decided for her as it gurgled more.

Just leaving the check-out with two bags full of food, a well too familiar voice was talking down the phone.

"Yes mom, I'm fine, you caught me at a bad time. I'm just at the store.... No I am not eating processed junk... MOM I AM NOT going to read the contents of my fridge to the rest of the world thank you!... Talk to you later" He sighed as he carried on walking, accidently nudging Sharpay's shopping. She froze as he turned around to apologize "Sorry" he carried on walking.

Sharpay's broken heart ached at the sound of his voice. She stood there as her world that she was trying to build up came crashing down around her once again. Sharpay walked home deep in thought. She kept thinking when she arrived home; she was too occupied by her thoughts to do anything about food, so she just went straight to bed hoping to never see Troy around here again.

Sharpay awoke early the next morning, hoping the previous evening at the store was just a bad dream. That hope was reality for the first second she was awake and then it hit her, he was really there.

The blue eyed boy, breathed in and suddenly felt more at ease in the comfort of his own apartment. He looked at the clock as it ticked on the wall, it read seven forty-five. Too early for him to sleep, he walked out onto his terrace with a beer in hand. He watched the sun set over the city, how beautiful it was. The sunset reminded him of one particular blonde haired beauty he once knew. Who he once loved, and maybe he still did love her but it was just a tiny catch in the back of his mind.

"_I don't want to be anywhere else Sharpay. Right here, right now and with you is good enough for me. Sunset is so beautiful, it reminds me so much of you" Troy stopped his stare into the sun and fixed his eyes onto Sharpay. _

_She looked in to his deep blue eyes and smiled sweetly, he had touched her heart with those words. His breath could now be felt on her face. He was so close Sharpay nearly forgot to breathe herself. "Troy" she managed to whisper, right before his lips were pressed against hers ever so softly. _

_He pulled away unsure of her reaction to the kiss. "I'm sorr-" he couldn't finish his sentence because those familiar lips were now kissing him passionately. _

Troy opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He can recall every memory of Sharpay Evans like it was yesterday. He missed her so much. Her chocolate brown eyes. Her perfect pink lips. Her golden blonde hair, that looked perfect any day of the week. He would give anything to turn back time and see her the way he loved once again.

He made a mistake, one that changed his life forever. That mistake was a girl. He didn't like this girl very much, he found her extremely annoying and clingy. Her name was Gabriella Montez. At the time he was dating Sharpay, who he loved very much and would do anything to keep her happy. He worshiped her existence and he was amazed at the fact that she loved him too. He broke her heart, no more to the point Gabriella broke her heart.

_8:59am outside homeroom. Troy was stood at his locker admiring the picture of him and Sharpay that hung inside._

"_Hey Troy" Gabriella giggled._

_He looked over his shoulder confused "Err hey" he turned back to his locker and continued to fix his books. _

_She rolled her eyes at how much attention Troy was paying to her. She slammed his locker shut and had him backed up against the wall "I'll get you Troy, you will be mine" she giggled again. He was now very scared of the freaky little girl that stood in front of him. He was rather glad to see that Sharpay was coming down the corridor, Gabriella saw this too. Gabriella's eyes burned with jealousy when she saw the way Troy looked at Sharpay. Her natural instinct kicked in and she grabbed Troy and kissed him with a large amount of passion. The whole school stood in shock, Troy including. He pushed Gabriella off him and looked innocent at Sharpay. _

_Gabriella had an evil grin on her mouth that had just been attached to Troy's. "Catch ya later Troy" she winked and strutted off into homeroom. _

_Troy was confused and scared as to what had just happened; he looked at Sharpay and was heartbroken to see tears rolling down her cheeks. He hated to see her in pain. _

"Damn that girl!" Troy sighed as he looked back on the memory that took place two years ago during the end of his senior year.

Troy recalled the activities of the day, one by one, meeting after meeting, and eventually the recent phone call with his mother, where she reminded him of health warnings in readymade meals. He then, for some reason remembered the blonde woman in the store he ran into. She seemed so familiar but he couldn't think where he had seen her from before. She was small-medium height, golden curls and soft brown eyes.

"NO! It can't be!!" Troy dropped his green beer bottle to the floor of his terrace and heard the smash of the glass echo as he ran into his living room.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hi I'm Sharpay Evans, It's my first day here, I believe I'm working for Jenny Green" Sharpay simply smiled, she needed to get to work and focus on the project, all night long her mind had been wondering over the subject that is Troy Bolton.

"Of course, I'll take you there myself" a small brunette came from behind the desk, it became obvious that she was at least 5 months pregnant. The woman strutted down the corridor holding on to her belly, she turned to Sharpay. "I'm Hayley by the way and this is my bouncing boy" she smiled down at her belly and caressed it adoringly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you and congratulations" they soon arrived at the main office, where Hayley left her to face her new boss alone.

Sharpay straightened up her clothes before knocking twice on the wooden door. This was it, the start of her new life, she was determined to let nothing stop her, not even her old painful memories.

"Ahh Miss Evans, my pleasure to meet you, I'm Jenny Green, the chief executive of City-Self Magazine." A middle-aged woman answered the door and paced quickly back to her desk. She wore a lime green knee length cocktail dress, matching shoes and a perfectly cut brunette bob. Her lipstick was ruby red and her glasses hung at the tip of her nose. She smiled in her words; this made Sharpay ease up a little.

"Nice to meet you too, so – what do you want me to do first?" Sharpay didn't know what to do with herself as she pondered out loud. She decided to sit in one of the cream leather chairs in front of her desk and noticed 3-family photos.

Her new boss scanned a few files in the cabinet next to the glass desk and watched Sharpay slowly. She could tell she was suffering some kind of pain as she watched her look deeply into the photos that stood at her desk. "The first one is my sisters and I that was taken when we were eleven years old" She snapped her files shut and sat behind her desk again. She cocked her head to the side, and watched Sharpay's emotion build. Sharpay reminded her of herself when she was young and vulnerable.

"Sharpay I'm going to cut you some slack, this is your first day and I'm guessing you are new in town but don't bring your problems to work. This is the place to earn money not to sit around a table and cry on endless tissues". Jenny watched Sharpay's reaction and then trying to bring her emotions together however much it pained her. From her own experience she could tell this was no ordinary homesickness, this was purely a case of a broken heart.

Jenny smiled and showed her pearl white teeth "Now on a higher note I think your first project will be right up your street from what I'm seeing today". Jenny placed the file she was scanning a few seconds ago in front of Sharpay. It was a green cover and contained a few blank sheets of A4 inside "Write me an article on _hurt_, due Friday to be posted on the next issue, make it real, show some emotion don't give me any collage crap, this is the real deal, the start of your life. Forget the jackass that made that pretty smile of yours fade – now go home, write this article and make me some money girl" She laughed and gestured to the door.

"Thank you Ms Green" Sharpay gathered her things and headed out towards the door.

"No thank you Miss Evans and please call me Jenny" She returned to typing on her computer as she was doing when Sharpay first walked through the door. She paused when she heard the door close; she looked at one of her sisters in the photo Sharpay was admiring only a few minutes ago then turned to the telephone. Jenny punched in a few numbers, numbers that had stayed on her mind for a few years now.

"Yes, hi I'm looking for Lucy Bolton?" She asked nervously.

"_May I ask whose calling?"_

"I'm Jenny Green, Lucy's sister." She let out a sigh, and had a minute to think of words to say to the sister she hadn't spoken to for twelve years.

There was a light cloud in the sky, and a small breeze in the air which carried the smell of freshly cut grass, the smell of spring. It was a perfect afternoon for some time to practice basketball. The court was his favourite place to be, nothing mattered on the court, he forgot everything when he was on the court, playing the game he loved and the game his father loved. All that mattered was getting the ball through the hoop over and over again.

Troy was in his element, in his zone, the place he was meant to be shooting hoops. He had once hoped to be a basketball super-star back in the days of East-High Albuquerque, everything was so simple then. Well it was before senior year, before the mistake, before the girl and before the pain. He still hopes for the basketball super-star, but for now he works in an office using art and design, photography and computer skills. This was his second dream, to work on his art, his art was his other element, he took all his feelings and let them out using a pencil and paper, he happened to be rather good at it.

The sun set over the city, the purple pink sky watched over the court which made Troy breathless. Only one other thing made Troy breathless, the sight of Sharpay Evans. It toyed on his mind how he wouldn't see Sharpay again, he came to the conclusion that the woman in the shop was just a look –a-like. He heard from a good source that is normally correct, his mom, that Sharpay was settling into a new job at the local paper. Something she had always wanted to do.

_Troy and Sharpay looked into the starry sky from the garden swing, holding hands and cuddling, their usual Sunday night activity. _

"_Shar, where do you think we will be in 5 years time?" he look at her with such admiration, he knew he would never stop loving her._

"_Well I hope to be working with a newspaper, doing what I love the most, writing stories. But I know I will be with you, and if I'm not I know I will always be here." She placed her hand over his beating heart. She looked confused. "Troy, are you feeling ok? Your hearts beating fast"_

"_That always happens when I am around you" he smiled into her eyes then softly kissed her lips_

"AHHHHHHHH WHY CAN'T I GET YOU OUT OF MY HEAD!" Troy screamed and threw the basket ball as hard as he could against the wall. He startled a nearby flock of birds and then realised he was alone, not just in the park but in the world. His thoughts of anger were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone.

"Yes?!?" Troy irritated by his past memories.

"_Hello dear, its mom_." She sounded gentle and wise, unlike a tense Troy

"Hi mom how can I help you?" Troy tried not to sound frustrated he didn't intend to worry his mother as he knew she didn't like him living out there all alone and stated more than once that he should come home and be looked after by his family,

"_Well your Aunt Jenny rang me asking for a favour – and well she hoped that you would go see her about taking some photo's for the next issue of the magazine, I said I would ask you but..."_

"Aunt Jenny? Haven't heard from her in a while but I don't know mom I'm awfully busy right no-" Troy didn't get the chance to finish his sentence.

"_PLEASE_" she paused, she almost sounded hurt. "I _could really do with you to help me on this one_"

"Alright, fine" Troy had never disappointed his mother before and nor was he going to start now. "Tell Aunt Jenny I'll stop by her office on Friday, where does she work anyway?"

"_City-Self Magazine."_

_**Hurt; By Sharpay Evans**_

_Everybody has complications in their life, some bigger than others, but nobody's life is perfect. We are who we are because we were made that way. Unique. I f we were meant to be perfect then God would have made us that way. I have a question that is still un-answered._

_Why do people change?_

_I understand that sometimes change is a good thing and people benefit from change, but other times when people change it hurts the people around them. They suffer in silence. All they have is memories, but even they change as u try to remember parts fade away. Tell me some good things about change. Right here right now this is what I am feeling and I know that somewhere out there somebody is feeling the same. With ink to paper I write this, I am lost looking to be found. I am a lucky girl, I know. There are so many people out in the world worse off than I am and I feel guilty to say that I am sad._

_Somebody, a boy I fell in love with broke my heart, it's still waiting to be fixed and I feel he is the only one who can do that. Even after all this time._

_I'm HURT; are __you? _


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope you guys are enjoying the story and thank you so much for reviewing, if you have any ideas you might like in the story please comment! :):) thanks again**

Sharpay waited anxiously whilst Jenny read the last words of her article silently. She wondered what she thought, how good was it? How bad was it? This is what she needed to start again; she wasn't prepared to let that go as well. Jenny sat back against her chair and placed her glasses on the written paper. Sharpay was exited and scared to hear what she had to say. The wait was over when Jenny opened her mouth and began.

"Sharpay I-" she shook her head so Sharpay prepared for the worst and looked down "Wow this is exactly what I wanted, it has emotion, feelings, and truth, God if I could kill the guy that broke your heart!" She smiled and looked directly at Sharpay.

"Thank you" she smiled weakly and blushed "So what's next?"

"Well we need to find some pictures, art work to go along with your article and oh look here is the man for the job" Jenny gestured to the door and Sharpay turned around. "Sharpay this is Troy Bolton, my nephew. Troy this is Sharpay Evans the author of the article." She smiled.

Sharpay's heart stopped for a second, in fact the whole world stopped for a second, the second that Sharpay clapped eyes on Troy. He still made her heart flutter, so much so she wanted to throw her arms around him but then she remembered why she was sad in the first place. She tried her hardest to smile but she just couldn't make it, she turned back around to Jenny and only then could she shyly smile.

Troy froze as he saw the beautiful blonde in front of him for the first time in 3 years. She still looked gorgeous as she always did; no she looked even better than Troy could remember. He was sure everyone in the room could hear his heart beat because it was beating so loud for Sharpay, the void in his heart was slowly being filled at just the sight of the woman that used to be his. He watched her turn back around to his Aunt and began.

"So what is it that you – that you want me to do – I mean us?" Troy had lost his breathe and his concentration, all of his attention had been darted on Sharpay.

Jenny beamed. "Exactly, I want you pair to work together to find the emotion, upset and feeling that Sharpay has portrayed in this article, go everywhere and anywhere I don't care just find me the _hurt."_ Jenny sighed, she could see the article becoming a great success. "So go on off you go, the world is your oyster! Well maybe limit yourselves to the city". With that she picked up her bag, files and coat and headed out the door, leaving Sharpay and Troy alone for the first time in a long time.

"So... how've you been?" Troy broke the silence, and blushed whilst doing so.

"I've been good Troy, but let's not make this personal, let's just do the job and forget about our history" She was cold but she needed to stay strong as long as Troy was around.

"Listen Pay I'm sorry –" he started but didn't finish

"What are you sorry for huh? Leaving your problems? Kissing Gabriella in front of me? Telling Chad all of my deepest secrets I told you?" She raised her voice as she went along but went quiet with last sentence it was almost a whisper. "Or was it even for taking my heart and smashing it into a thousand pieces" She too like Jenny picked up her things and walked out the door, only this time with teary eyes.

Troy was speechless, he knew he hurt her, in fact most of the school knew that but he had no idea how much at the time. He needed to find a way to get her to listen, to explain the real reason for leaving. To explain everything. He ran after her, he wasn't going to let her go again, not now.

"Sharpay, let me explain I-"

"I don't want to hear it Troy! I'm here for business and so are you. You are a stranger to me so after this no contact, and delete these contacts as soon as you can" She handed him a card with her phone number and home address before leaving in the crowd of people.

* * *

The rain poured against the window as Troy thought of his meeting with Sharpay, he so much wanted to tell her the truth of what really happened, but how could when she just wanted to shut him out? He sipped his beer and hung his head. He realised the woman who could help him with all of this was just a phone call away. She was the solution to most of Troy's problems, his mom. He was close to his mom always had been but now more than ever after leaving Albuquerque.

"Troy, why are you calling so late?" She moaned into the phone, it was obvious he had just woke her up.

"It's Sharpay, she's here, she's working with Aunt Jenny, she is the one I have to work with" Troy groaned just like he had when he was 5 years old.

"Does she know?"

"No she won't give me the chance to explain, she says I am a stranger to her, what am I supposed to do? I can't even have a decent conversation with her!" He complained, it hurt him bad that the woman he loved was shutting him out and making him feel so alone. "How can I tell her?"

"Write her a letter, tell her everything and don't miss anything out, show her your true emotions"

* * *

It was a rough night, not only was the weather in a storm but there was no sleep to be had in the Evans apartment. Sharpay wondered how the next conversation with Troy would go, when he would call IF he would call at all. She hated being so cold and icy but she needed to show to Troy just how much he had hurt her. The words they exchanged earlier ran around Sharpay's mind like a marathon. She needed sleep or at least to wake-up from her doze. Sharpay brewed the coffee before taking a long hot shower, she felt the need to wash Troy out of her hair, not that it did much good as she knew that she would see him again later in the day.

After everything was taken care of, hair, make-up, clothes, and least important, her apartment Sharpay knew it was about time she rang her twin, she already missed her brother greatly.

"Hello Ryan Evans" Spoke the voice that she missed so much, that she grew up with and loved.

"Ryan, it's Sharpay are you busy?" She hoped not, this was another way to occupy her mind off Troy.

"Sharpay! You know I'm never too busy for you" he beamed. "What's up?"

"Well firstly I wanted to thank you for the apartment and don't dare deny that you had nothing to do with it" she giggled, like she normally does when she talks to Ryan. He is the one person that knows her better than she knows herself.

He laughed with her "Yes, well I just wanted to do something nice for you, I know you have had a tough time lately" he paused "Anyways moving on, how are thing at work? Knocked down your boss yet with all that greatness you have?"

"Well I did that alright, only she comes back fighting ". Sharpay explained her story, she had only been living there a week and she already had a story to tell.

"One of these days I'm going to get that Troy Bolton and knock his lights out, are you sure you are ok? Do you want me to come up this weekend? I could get some time off if you like"

"No, its ok I'm going to explore the city, meet some people, do my own thing but thanks for the offer. I don't really want to ask but how did mom and dad take the news of me leaving?" Sharpay knew she was treading on thin ice.

"They're hurt Shar, they didn't understand why you would want to leave and not tell anyone else wh-" Ryan was interrupted by Sharpay's doorbell.

"Ryan I'm sorry I have to go, I'll call you later" She made her way over to the door and answered it to an empty hallway. Sharpay looked left and right confused and then noticed an envelope on the floor with her name signed on it in big black letters. "Huh, well this is completely normal" She wondered back inside with a coffee cup in hand and studied the envelope trying to identify the handwriting. She had no such luck. Sharpay ran her fingers over the fold and tore it open, she was anxious as to what the letter contained. However, out of all the things she thought it might me, this was something Sharpay was definitely not expecting this.

_Dear Sharpay,_

_I think it's time to explain things to you, properly..._


	4. Chapter 4

_Dear Sharpay,_

_I think it's time to explain things to you, properly. I am truly sorry, sorry for everything I have ever done to you that has broken you. I would like to apologize for the words in this letter as I tell you what really happened in high school, but one thing I would like you to remember is that I love you. I loved you back then and I love you now and for sure I know that I am never going to stop loving you because my heart beats for you and my mind loves your memories, you are its only occupation. I miss you._

_When we became friends on the 12__th __October 2004, science class, Lab 7, I never wanted to be your friend, I never wanted to get close to you and I certainly never wanted to become your boyfriend. The truth is it was for my popularity, I never cared about your feelings in fact I couldn't care less that you actually existed. But I regret all of that because I had the chance to get to know the real you, for you to let me in, for you to let me see what a wonderful and beautiful person you are underneath all of that act that you put on or that wall you built up around yourself. I got to meet Sharpay Evans, the person I fell in love with._

_Chad, along with all the other basket ball players, had dared me to get the "Ice Queen" to fall in love with me and get her to reveal all of her deepest darkest secrets in return for a seat at the popular table. Which I effortlessly agreed to and I wish for the life of me I hadn't._

Sharpay had read enough already. She stared at the words written in jet black ink across the plain paper. Her eyes streaming as she realised her boyfriend of just over 2 years was a liar and a cheat. Sharpay suddenly had the urge to scream and shout at him until his ear were red and were no longer of any use to anybody. "YOU WERE BETTER THAN THIS! YOU WERE BETTER THAN THEM! You know what Troy Bolton; you've got it coming to you... I HATE YOU!!!" She suddenly felt better and agreed with herself the plan she had in mind. All she had to do was wait until the next time they met. A sly smile on Sharpay's lips had just risen as she continued to read his "Truth" letter.

**I'm sorry this is extremely short, but you needed to read this before reading the rest, next chapter should be posted within the next few days ******** please review!!**


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